To-Do List Representation In The Database Of A Project Management System

Abstract

A project management system manages project schedule data using separate current and historical task schedule data structures. In general, current schedule data is stored separately from historical schedule data, so that the current schedule data may be retrieved separately from the historical task schedule data. The project management system may also maintain unscheduled tasks as “to-do lists.” Tasks may be added to a member's schedule without specifying any planned dates and the tasks are added to the database. The tasks have an associated revision number of 0 to indicate that the tasks were added, but not yet scheduled. The tasks are displayed in the member schedule editor and in Web page schedules. The tasks may then be displayed in the member schedule editor and in Web page schedules in a manner that allows a user to readily determine that the tasks are “to-do list” tasks.

1 . A computer-implemented method for managing project schedule data, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, from a user via a project schedule editor, a request to create a task in a project;   prior to schedule data being specified for the task,
 generating task data that identifies the task in the project, and 
 storing the task data for the task in a data repository, and 
 generating and storing in the data repository in association with the task data, data that indicates that the task associated with the task data does not have any associated schedule data and is a to-do list task. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein generating and storing in the data repository in association with the task data, data that indicates that the task associated with the task data does not have any associated schedule data and is a to-do list task includes generating and storing in the data repository in association with the task data, revision data that indicates that the task associated with the task data does not have any associated schedule data and is a to-do list task. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the revision data indicates a version number of 0. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the user via the project schedule editor, schedule data for the task, and   in response to receiving the schedule data for the task,
 storing the schedule data in the data repository, and 
 updating the data stored in association with the schedule data to indicate that the task now has associated schedule data. 
   
     
     
         5 . A computer-readable medium for managing project schedule data, the computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, causes:
 receiving, from a user via a project schedule editor, a request to create a task in a project;   prior to schedule data being specified for the task,
 generating task data that identifies the task in the project, and 
 storing the task data for the task in a data repository, and 
 generating and storing in the data repository in association with the task data, data that indicates that the task associated with the task data does not have any associated schedule data and is a to-do list task. 
   
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 5 , wherein generating and storing in the data repository in association with the task data, data that indicates that the task associated with the task data does not have any associated schedule data and is a to-do list task includes generating and storing in the data repository in association with the task data, revision data that indicates that the task associated with the task data does not have any associated schedule data and is a to-do list task. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the revision data indicates a version number of 0. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 6 , further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause:
 receiving, from the user via the project schedule editor, schedule data for the task, and   in response to receiving the schedule data for the task,
 storing the schedule data in the data repository, and 
 updating the data stored in association with the schedule data to indicate that the task now has associated schedule data. 
   
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for managing project schedule data, the apparatus comprising a memory storing instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, causes:
 receiving, from a user via a project schedule editor, a request to create a task in a project;   prior to schedule data being specified for the task,
 generating task data that identifies the task in the project, and 
 storing the task data for the task in a data repository, and generating and storing in the data repository in association with the task data, data that indicates that the task associated with the task data does not have any associated schedule data and is a to-do list task. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , wherein generating and storing in the data repository in association with the task data, data that indicates that the task associated with the task data does not have any associated schedule data and is a to-do list task includes generating and storing in the data repository in association with the task data, revision data that indicates that the task associated with the task data does not have any associated schedule data and is a to-do list task. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the revision data indicates a version number of 0. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the memory further stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause:
 receiving, from the user via the project schedule editor, schedule data for the task, and   in response to receiving the schedule data for the task,
 storing the schedule data in the data repository, and 
 updating the data stored in association with the schedule data to indicate that the task now has associated schedule data.